Playing 'What If?' game with American history

4:23 AM,
Jul. 14, 2013

Adena Mansion has been a staple of Ross County historical tourism and community activities for years. But would it stand today if life had gone differently for its resident, Thomas Worthington, and those around him?

Written by

Alan R. Davis
Special to the Gazette

Something many of us love to play is the "What If? game. That's the game in which we guess what might come true if something happens in the future, such as winning the lottery.

But the game can be played in reverse - looking back and guessing what might have happened had some event or events turned out differently.

On July 18, 1755, Col. George Washington wrote his mother regarding a battle that's commonly called "Braddock's Defeat." During the French and Indian War, the British made an attempt to capture Fort Duquesne (at what now is known as Pittsburgh). Despite having superior numbers and ...